Conduit.



PATENTED JULY 12, 1904,

M. J. STONE.

CONDUIT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

No. 764,779. Patented July 12, 1904.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

MARTYN J. STONE, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONDUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,779, dated July 12, 1904.

Application filed September 25, 1902. Serial No. 124,353. (No model.)

T whflm it y 0071067711: my preferred form of conduit, it will be evi- Be it known that I, MARTYN J. STONE, a citident. and is to be understood that there can be zen ofthe United States, residing at Scranton, modification in several respects as to the in the county of Lackawanna and State of minor details of structure without departing Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and from the essence or spirit of the invention or useful Improvements in Conduits; and I do sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, To the accomplishment of the above-recited and exact description of the invention, such ends, the invention consists in forming the as will enable others skilled in the art to which surface of a conduit with grooves adapted to 10 it appcrtains to make and use the same. receive and retain cement or other like fasten- This invention relates to certain new and ing means. useful improvements in conduits of the type It also consists in the particular construcemployed for carrying underground wires. tion, combination, and arrangement of parts,

It is the intention of the present invention as will be hereinafter described in the speci- I 5 to provide a conduit composed of glass, clay, fication, illustrated in the drawings, and set or any suitable non-conducting material which forth in the claims. shall be capable of use in conjunction with a Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a group of like conduits without resorting to perspective view of my improved conduit. the use of studs, sleeves, or like fastening Fig. 2 is an end view of a part of the conduits 20 means. used in a group and illustrating the manner The invention also contemplates so groovin which they are mounted and joined relative ing or forming the outer faces or surfaces of to each other; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged end the conduit that when used in a group or view of my improved conduit, showing the groups, as above recited, the several members preferred formation of the curves on the sur- 5 of such group or groups may be joined tofaces thereof. Fig. 4 shows a number of gether through the medium of any plastic or conduits of modified form mounted in a group. binding material, such as cement, such bind- Fig. 5 is an end view of such modified form. ing material to be placed in the grooves re- Referring now to the drawings in dctail,and ferred to forming the only means necessary in particulartoFig.1thereof,thenumeralldes- 3 to hold the members of the group or groups ignates the body portion of the conduit, which in their proper position relative to each other. may be formed of glass, vitrified elay,commo u A further object of the invention is to proclay, or any suitable like but non-conducting vide conduits which may be easily handled material of the character usually employed in and quickly adjusted or centered relative to the manufacture of articles of this type. In

3 5 each other and used in groups without the the figure above referred toIhave shown my 8 5 necessity of resorting to auxiliary means genconduit substantially square in cross-section, erally employed in conduits for telephonethe ends thereof being slightly rounded for wires heretofore used. the purpose to be hereinafter set forth. The

In conduits of this type heretofore used it conduit is provided with any suitable number 4 has been the common practice to make the of channels or cable-holes 2 for the reception 9 sides or faces thereof perfectly smooth and and support of the wires adapted to pass even, and this formation when it is desired through the same. Formed on the outer surto join such conduits in a group has rendered face of the body portion of the conduit, and it necessary to employ various centering and preferably extending longitudinally the en- 45 looking or fastening means, such as doweltire distance thereof, is a groove, as at 3. In pins, and insert them into the ends of the con- Fig. 1 I have shown a groove formed in each duits in order to bind them together, and it is of the four faces of the conduit; but it will to avoid this that the present structure is de-' of course be understood that any desired numsigned. ber of grooves may be' employed, as shown 5 IVhile I have herein shown and described in Fig. 5, illustratinga modification, wherein I00 it is seen that two grooves are formed on each face. This grooving or fiuting of the surfaces of the conduit forms an important and essential feature of the invention, and while such grooving may be of any desired shape still I have found that for practical purposes the form of the groove illustrated in the accompanying drawings is preferable.

When it is desired to use the conduits in a group, as for the reception of a large number of wires-for instance, telephone wires or cablesthe conduits are placed in proper position relative to each other and the cement or binding material 3 is placed or forced into the grooves 2. The next conduit of the group is then placed upon the conduit containing the cement in such manner that the grooved or fluted portions of each conduit correspond and are in line with the adjacent grooves. In this way the cement will be forced into the groove of the second conduit and acting as a key when hardened will bind the members firmly in position. WVhen the ends or edges of the conduit are rounded, as shown in Fig. 1, and the conduits are mounted in groups, the cement or binding material may also be used as a filling for the space formed when the conduits are mounted as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be evident that when conduits formed as above described are mounted in groups they are held securely in place without the use of auxiliary means and present very little liability of breakage or damage. By cementing the grooves together perfectly air-tight piping is formed and a conduit is formed which will prevent the entrance of air and the consequent damage to cables or wires held therein. The conduits of the character heretofore used having smooth surfaces were cemented together, the only binding or holding means aside from the dowel-pin commonly in use was the tensile strength of the cement, while in my structure in order to detach one of the conduits from groups it is necessary to break the cement squarely at the point of the juncture. There are also many other advantages incident to a structure of this character; but they are so evident that it will be unnecessary to specifically set them forth.

It will further be observed that conduits constructed according to my improvements may be quickly and accurately placed in alinement and held in such position by any suitable meanssuch, for instance, as thin pieces of wood placed in the grooves when they are joined together. It-is evident that this would retain them securely in place until the cement had hardened sufiiciently along the entire length. The workman would then be able to perform his labors with greater rapidity, as there would be no danger of accidentally forcing the conduits out of their proper alinement before the cement had obtained a suiiicient degree of hardness.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with conduit-sections arranged side by side and exteriorly provided with registering grooves undercut or reduced at their entrance or opening, of a double key conjointly engaging the grooves of said respective sections for locking them together.

2. The combination, with conduit-sections arranged side by side and exteriorly provided respectively with longitudinal registering grooves extending from end to end and undercut or having a reduced longitudinal entrance or opening, of cement or other material conjointly engaging the grooves of the respective sections for retaining the same together.

3. The combination, with conduit-sections arranged side by side and exteriorly provided with registering longitudinal grooves extending from end to end and undercut or having a reduced entrance or opening, of a double key conjointly engaging the respective grooves of said sections for retaining the same together.

4.. The combination, with a plurality of conduit-sections arranged side by side and exteriorly provided with longitudinal grooves extending from end to end, said. grooves being on median lines with respect to the sides of the conduit so that the grooves of the different sections register and being undercut or having reduced longitudinal entrances or openings, of a double key conjointly engaging the respective grooves of said sections for retaining the same together.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARTYN J. STONE. Witnesses W. W. BAYLOR, KATHERINE D. MULROONY. 

